BJP leader K Laxman addresses a gathering at the Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad
In a dramatic escalation of the Telangana phone tapping scandal, the BJP Telangana has called for the case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The demand was made during a protest at Dharna Chowk, Hyderabad, on Friday, where prominent BJP leaders accused former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) of orchestrating the illegal surveillance.
Dr. K. Laxman, MP, National President of BJP OBC Morcha, and member of the BJP Parliamentary Board, delivered a scathing speech, describing phone tapping as an anti-national act. He alleged that KCR abused government machinery as though it were his personal property, importing surveillance equipment from abroad in violation of the Indian Telegraph Act.
“KCR used the surveillance tools to attack and weaken opposition parties during the last three assembly elections, by-elections, and GHMC elections, targeting their financial roots,” Laxman charged. He also claimed that the phone tapping aimed to protect KCR’s daughter, Kavitha, who is implicated in the Delhi liquor scandal.
Laxman urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take steps to bring former SIB chief Prabhakar Rao, the alleged mastermind behind the phone tapping, to justice. He accused some police officers of exploiting the situation to extort money from businessmen, forcing them to buy electoral bonds for the BRS party.
The BJP further accused the Congress leadership of being in a secret agreement with KCR, pressuring Revanth Reddy not to act against the former CM. “If there is no collusive agreement between BRS and Congress, a CBI inquiry should be immediately ordered to prove Revanth Reddy’s honesty,” demanded Sri Gomase Srinivas, a Peddapally Lok Sabha BJP candidate.
Potuganti Bharat Prasad, Nagar Kurnool Lok Sabha BJP candidate, stated, “If BRS does phone tapping, then Congress will create fake videos and spread lies. Democracy is under threat with these two parties.”
Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Chevella BJP candidate, called on the Election Commission to revoke the recognition of the BRS, asserting that the party won the 2018 elections through phone tapping and abuse of power.
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Boora Narsaiah Goud, BJP candidate for Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha, questioned, “Instead of filing a case against the mastermind KCR and sending him to jail, why arrest the police who are merely role players?”
The BJP leaders, including Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, Adilabad MLA Shri Payal Shankar, and others, highlighted that the phone tapping extended to judges and opposition leaders. They expressed surprise at Revanth Reddy’s silence, noting that he too was a victim of the illegal surveillance.
During the protest, BJP leaders voiced their determination to take the issue to every village and expose the BRS’s actions. They demanded immediate action against KCR rather than focusing solely on the police officers involved.
The protest at Indira Park saw participation from numerous BJP leaders, including Peddi Reddy, Kasam Venkateshwarlu, and former ministers like Vijayarama Rao. The BJP has pledged to continue their fight for a CBI probe, aiming to hold KCR and his associates accountable for their alleged abuses of power.
Phone Tapping Case
During the elections of 2018, 2019, and 2023, it is alleged that KCR devised a strategy to tap the phones of political opponents, businessmen, judges, and other prominent individuals. The objective was to control or weaken the opposition and to collect party funds through settlements.
As the case surfaced in March 2024, confession statements from the accused police officials, including Radha Kishan Rao, Bhujanga Rao, Thirupathanna, Praneeth Rao, Bhujanga Rao, Venu Gopal Rao, and Gattu Mallu, and many other police personnel, along with remand reports filed by the police, have begun to reveal the entire pattern of operations. These documents suggest that the conspiracy was initiated, managed, controlled, and ultimately covered up on the orders of KCR through a selected team over the past seven years.
A Special Operations Team (SOT) comprising 56 members was specifically formed for this purpose. The team was equipped with 17 computers and 50 hard discs to facilitate extensive monitoring and data storage, and they set up server rooms, and monitoring centres in various parts of the state.
Once the Assembly Election results became clear, there was a concerted effort to destroy evidence. Out of the 50 hard discs initially used, 17 were destroyed, formatted laptops, pen drives, and remaining hard discs. The destroyed hard discs were dispersed across different locations in the state, including being thrown into the Musi River. This strategic disposal aimed to ensure that the evidence was irretrievable and that further investigation would be hindered.
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